BINH DUONG
Josko Gvardiol shined at the 2022 World Cup at the age of 21 and has just become the second most expensive defender in the world after joining Manchester City.
Man City paid RB Leipzig $99 million for Gvardiol, making him the second most expensive defender in history after Manchester United's Harry Maguire ($102 million). Gvardiol signed a five-year contract with the English champions, valid until the summer of 2028.
Gvardiol's (right) value has skyrocketed thanks to his performance at the 2022 World Cup for Croatia. Photo: Getty Images
It can be said that leaving Dinamo Zagreb (Croatian national championship) to join RB Leipzig (German Bundesliga) in the summer of 2020 marked a significant step forward for Gvardiol. The speed, tactical complexity and quality of opponents in Germany's top league are far different from what he faced in Croatia. Therefore, the Bundesliga was a test of Gvardiol's readiness to compete at the highest level, even though the Croatian defender was only 19 years old at that time.
At RB Leipzig, Gvardiol became the “heart” of the defense and raised the style of play to a new level. The fact that RB Leipzig had previously said goodbye to two young defenders, Ibrahima Konate (who joined Liverpool) and Dayot Upamecano (who joined Bayern Munich), did not affect the defensive strength too much because of Gvardiol's excellence. He quickly became loved by fans after playing 29 matches in the Bundesliga.
While German audiences have known Gvardiol for a long time, it was not until the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 that this defender made his debut in world football. Thanks to Gvardiol's contributions, the Croatian team only conceded 3 goals in the tournament, where they reached the semi-finals (stopping before Lionel Messi's Argentina). When Croatia met Morocco in the third-place match, Gvardiol scored 1 goal and won the Man of the Match award. Gvardiol did not make any mistakes at the World Cup. The third goal conceded against Argentina was not entirely his fault, but because Messi played so well. Gvardiol was included in the 2022 World Team of the Year voted by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
This is Man City's second new signing in the summer transfer window of 2023, after compatriot midfielder Mateo Kovacic was recruited from Chelsea. Gvardiol is considered a suitable piece for Man City. He finished the Bundesliga last season in 5th place in the number of passes per game (71.3) and 9th in the accuracy of passing (89.3%). In addition, the long passing ability of this 1m85 tall center-back promises to help the reigning English and European champions quickly switch from defense to attack. In the Bundesliga last season, Gvardiol's successful long passing rate reached nearly 60%, ranking 12th out of 112 players who made at least 100 long passes. Gvardiol is a versatile player, so he can also take on the left-back position, similar to how Nathan Ake did very well for Man City last season.
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